I turned 30(I got pictures y'all) , One Shop I Heart, Weave Musings and an Interesting Bit of History..

So remember when I promised to post every Monday?Yeah well, tell that to my Internet. For some reason, I have not be able to publish anything all week. It would time out every time I tried to lay some magic on you in the form of the written word. Argh! All is up and running now, though I have no idea what changed. Ill thank the gods in charge of the Internet post this on Sunday for Monday (just in case)and move on.
So, last week I turned 30. I'm not sure where exactly I expected to be at 30 but I certainly didn't think it would be as f*cking FABULOUS as its  been. I took a step back last week and examined my life.I have a fantastic job that I find fulfilling and enjoy going to every day. I have an amazing fiance who I literally adore ,admire, respect and love. Ive got fantastic friends and my hair is finally doing what I have been training it to do since I was 14. Life is good.Which is surprising.When I think back on how 12 year old me imagined my life the only thing that rings true to that fantasy life is my wardrobe. Don't get me wrong, i am far from satisfied, I am not done lining my closet coffers with more vintage jewels,  I'm just saying . When I look in my closet every morning, it looks just like 12 year old April imagined it would look.Full of vintage gowns and day dresses, 40's heels exploding out and onto the floor and various counters, hats and scarves and belts abound. Perfect.
Perfect is a weird word isn't it? When you say you want something to be perfect you usually mean you want it to turn out just like you had planned in your head.My 30th birthday party? Was perfect.Not that it didn't go off  without a hitch, there were many many hitches but it ended up just the way it should have.My hair looked great, my Frank Starr dress was the bomb and almost all of my closest friends came.We even had surprise guests! Plus, dude, there was burlesque!
We went to Ivan Kane's Cafe Was for their Burlesque review called Forty Deuce. if you click on the link? You can see where we sat . We were eating dinner on those red couches behind the piano. We had a great time, but I only stayed for the first set because I'm an old bird and old birds get tired after 11.Especially when they get up at 4:30 in the morning to go to work.
The Frank Starr Dress was bought at Ryan-Nicole Vintage Attire.  Take a look see at the dress and pictures of the fun! Some of these are blurry  cuz we were drinking and they were taken on a phone.:-D*Pics courtesy of KC because we were tards and forgot our camera*
The Dress.That look on my face? I'm thinking"When is he gonna take the picture?I have cigarettes to smoke and people to call!"

Dacia and I.Looks super hot in the dress I let her borrow no?

This is me super surprised that our friends( My Lover Mans Best Man for the wedding) came.The have 4 kids under the age of 6.2 of em? 1yr old twin boys.I almost plotzed myself.

Here they are! Kenny and Sharon. Love them!

Me, my Lover Man and our  usher for the wedding Kai

                                                    We shared a moment there.

                                            One of my Bridesmaids Ronda, and  yours truly.

Me and my other Bridesmaid Emi.

A sample of what we witnessed at the 40 Deuce.

Attack of the foreheads! A terrible pic of my Maid of Honor K.C and I.

Dacia and I looking Fancy.

I'm waiting on pics from my girl Brenda so there are not many on here. A lot of people couldnt make it but we still had so many folks that Kenny and Sharon had to sit at their own table!Hopefully I get them sometime next week so you can see B's hair! It was bomb.

Mk so,is that dress not awesome? It was only $75 dollars! Ryan's prices are reasonable and? She's a really nice girl.I actually met her when she moved from...somewhere to Los Angeles. Ryan and her boyfriend met me at the coffee shop up the street from me to deliver my dress and hand me a freebie! She is a really sweet girl, I actually meant to extend myself and try to show her around but you guys? I am so busy.I'm not even fake busy! You know what I mean when I say fake busy right? When you tell everyone you have plans and all you really have to do is go shopping and catch up on the  slew of"How to be a Girl" magazines that somehow managed to pile up on the divan, unopened and unread for months. Ahh to experience those fake busy days again. Nowadays,I literally never seem to have a free weekend .Something is always planned, especially since the engagement. So now you know one of my dirty little secrets.

 I'm a crap ambassador for LA. Sorry.

To make up my my lack of ambassadorship , to help out a small business, and because I have been coveting items from her store,I decided to feature it!

Ryan focuses mostly on the 80's so its a great pace to get reasonably priced items from that era. 80's is in for some, and you know what I always say, why buy repro in the mall when you can buy the real deal at a better price? Unless you just like to throw your money away.

 Since we all know I'm more 40's and 50's, the things I picked to feature are from that era, but she has TONS of other items in different era's to choose from.

The first item I'm featuring is a darling little blue  50's velvet vintage purse! Its only $25 dollars! I could totally see you stuffing your mints and lipstick and credit cards in it, all excited about your night out.

I even have the perfect earrings to go with it for you from the shop! These little baubles are only $18 dollars!

last but not least? I love mink y'all.I know its terrible that alla those cute little minks died, but they died like 50 years ago. I cant reincarnate them so I'm gonna make sure those little critters did not die in vain! You want a mink? Buy vintage. I'm not knocking you if you want a new one,I'm just saying the new ones give me the heebie jeebies and Id rather not support any more minks going to the great hearafter because I'm cold. Mk, off my soapbox.

This mink is gorgeous! Only $135.For  REAL MINK! :-O

Here's Ryan rockin it casual style.

Great shiz no? To check out more of her lovely things go here! You wont regret it.

I normally have some sort of silly musings on vintage living but I think today I'm gonna talk about the magic of the weave. Yeah, that's right, the weave. I used to be scared of the weave. I'm not sure what exactly I thought it was. Maybe I thought it would damage my hair somehow, or fall out at an inopportune moment? I don't know, I do know that I was pretty sure that I never wanted to experiment with that particular branch of hair design.

So, you know the blond in my hair in the pictures? Totally fake. I took the partial weave plunge. I had that shiz weaved in because I like to change my hair color, I'm just too lazy to do it myself and I don't enjoy the damage that bleach does to my hair.I like having long nice hair, I don't want to ruin it because I got a bug up my ass to try something new. 

How do I feel about it? Well, I have to admit it feels a little weird when I brush or wash it.Its only weaved in at the top, leaving the rest of my hair free but still, its weird. Its like there is something in there that I need to comb out.Like a monster tangle or something. But I totally get why people get extensions. Its like having a whole new look at the snap of a finger.

If a finger snap took 4 hours. 

I didn't get mine to have my hair longer but I can imagine the amount of time THAT must take.I literally almost started crying I was getting so antsy. Since I don't trust myself to cut it out, Ill have to wait 6 weeks to get it taken out by my beautician. While its going to feel strange having this weave in for that long, I'm going to try and have fun with it, see how many different ways I can use the blond highlights to emphasize my retro hairstyles. 

One of my attempts.

 :-D

Im gonna leave you with a link to a comedy short that I found on Archive.org.Its pretty terrible but also interesting to see an all black cast in 1949. The plot makes practically no sense, but people are dancing  and wearing feathers.I can totally get behind that. See if you can spot the chick totally pretending to sing the horrible horrible song they showcase.Check this shiz out.

Till next Monday My Dears!

Your VFG

Your VFG elaborates on her NY's Resolution to support SB's,2 Shops I Heart, and A Vintage State of Mind.

Okey Dokey Artichokies! Before we get down to the  good stuff ie:the vintage schwag, I want to elaborate on my New Years Resolution to support small business's. The small business marketplace  I picked was Etsy. It was the best place I could think of to hit as many small business as possible and not go crazy going from site to site.Later on in the year , Ill feature some of my secret small business places I patronize to purchase my vintage schwag.They have great shiz but get enough business's as it is. I really want to help on a larger yet more grass roots level.To those who cant afford their own fancy non web related shops.
While everything I buy cant possible come from a small business because I am not Rockefeller, I am a HUGE fan of helping other people live their dreams and make a profit doing it, so I try to buy as much handmade,vintage,recycled,garage sale ,thrift shiz I can. And why not? You KNOW you are going to buy.You KNOW you are probably going to spend too much. So why not buy something TOTALLY unique that not one other person will have, at a reasonable price and help out some nice young entrepreneur? Or old, your VFG is not ageist. How could I be? I love old people, the older the better.Some of my happiest days as a kid were spent at a nursing home I volunteered at in High School. Yes it smelled like pee and yes there were dirty old men with catheters trying to goose me*why anyone would think peeing in a bag is an aphrodisiac I will never know.* but there were also really nice knowledgeable men and women that really helped to further my knowledge of vintage living.

So before I get off my soapbox,I just want to say, its  not a bad thing to buy mass produced repro, or to only patronize your favorite vintage shop in a certain neck of the woods. Ive done it.
 I just don't want you to forget that there is a whole wide word of one of a kind vintage out there and its sold by women like you who love what you love! They know how it sucks to get a vintage item that has gone through the ringer when the seller told you it was pristine. They know what its like to search and search through piles and piles of worthless shiz till they find that one gem of an item. They feel your pain and they feel your triumph, and the sellers I feature on here are the creme de la creme. If you see something you like on here ? Spread the word or buy it! Email this blog to your other vintage fashion loving friends , help spread the word about these sellers!I don't get a kickback or anything like that, I just love their shops, have had great experiences there and want to share that love with you. A side note? All these ladies measurements in their stores are spot on.I have NEVER bought anything that was misrepresented in either size or quality.
 Let them help you look fabulous.

The Schwag
Today I will feature, as promised Girlswhowearglasses and VintagePointShop !
MK, first Girlswhowearglasses.
 I am in Love with Mary's shop.While she may not have many things in her store, what she does have is beautiful.
I have a collection of quilted dress robes that I totally wear to work.I love them. Wearing a quilted robe dress is like wearing a blanket made of Jesus.For reals y'all , they are that awesome. She had two, a leopard one and a red one.I bought the red one and some other lucky lady beat me to the leopard one!
Here are some pics for your pleasure.

Drinks anyone?

Speaking of drinks the dress I am featuring next is from Marys store , its a 1950's number that  reminds me of innocent flirting over cocktails at the Savoy.Will you have another glass? Why yes you will. But not too much, wouldn't want to get sloppy and ruin the lines of your frock now would you?

The Back. This dress is actually modeled by Mary. Is that an amazing tat or what?!

The Front. Look at that neckline! I could totally see you leaning over and exposing that perfect bit of cleavage to your Lover Man, cant you? It should come with a warning label.Designed to drive a man wild: Proceed with caution. And the best part? Its $65.00. Did you get a shiver? 

This next  item is a 1950's Quilted Dressing Gown. The picture for this is just perfect. I could totally see you lounging on your porch drinking tea and chatting with the girls about tonight's big plans. Or setting your hair in pin curls at the kitchen table. The best part?  Its Deadstock! Still has the ORIGINAL TAGS! The one I bought from her had the original tag and I saved it! Because I am a pack rat. much to my One n Onlies chagrin.

The Back. Only $47.50 y'all.

The last piece Id love to feature is a sweet yet sexy little number that Mary calls The Sweet Little Rock N Roller Dress.  Circa 1950. I have my own little story that goes with this dress. I  call this dress Susie.Susie is a sweetheart but she's got a larcenous side.She's the kind of woman who gets you to give her 20 dollars for the powder room even though this is 2011 and the bathroom is now free. You let the money go with a smile and a wink knowing she'll be back, if only to find out how much you have left in your wallet.

The Front $67.50

She has those items above and other vintage  treasures in her store Girlswhowearglasses and if you read yesterdays post, you know she's got a Blog. Check her out! Not only is her store bomb but she's got an interesting view of the world that I enjoy reading.

The next shop featured is the VintagePointShop. I cant lie.The best thing about this site are the prices! Their prices are so reasonable that I would swear there was something wrong with the item! But nope. Carolyn and Paulette run a tight ship! They are up front about any flaws found on a garment( the garments they sell are virtually flaw free, though its nice they mention a smudge or loose thread.) and if quality was reflected in their pricing, items would go for much much more than they do.

The dress I bought from them was a STEAL at only 35 smackeroos!

Take a looksee!

The first item featured from this store is a darling little navy 40's suit.This suit is literally crying out for someone to buy it and match it with some glittery vintage baubles about the neck and ear area. this suit says "I like my Martini's dirty and cold and maybe before 11."

The Front

The Back. The best part? Wait for it, cuz its good.This stunner is only...$50.00. USD y'all not pounds!

This next dress is called The Olivia Dress. I  do think the name fits. Olivia is a shy but savvy secretary.She wont balk at the suggestion of sitting on the bosses knee but while there, she takes the time to go over the companies gains and loss's. The next time the Boss asks Olivia in, he gives her a chair.

The Back.  Olivia may look like a million bucks, but she's only $45.00!!!!! Yeah, I know, crazy right?! If by crazy you mean awesome.

Last but not least, they've got a little 60's nautical purse that  reminded me of 60's Marilyn.Cant you just see her sporting it with the outfit in the picture? I thought of her casually checking her lipstick then tossing the bag on a photographers couch and getting ready to work! 25 bucks.

To find more delicious vintage goodies ( they have shoes and gowns and coats!) mosey on over to the Shop and get your credit card out! Or Paypal because they take that too!

My parting thoughts will be on living in a vintage state of mind.

 I love modern conveniences. I love that I get to have a wet to straight flat iron, modern make up tools and a car that can go longer than 100 miles and not break down.I'm a modern kind of girl, but I adore the feeling of Nostalgia. So how does a modern woman of the word keep that feeling of nostalgia close to her heart? OTR. I love old time radio, I credit Old Time Radio for igniting my historical curiosity. I'm no vintage purist, rather I am a history lover and the history I happen to find more interesting just happens to be from the late 30's to the early 60's. So many crazy things were happening! Wars were fought, fashion exploded, repression, segregation, the Commie scare. Arthur Miller wrote some of his most poignant works. Entertainment was virtually reinvented during this time period.Who could not be absolutely mesmerized by all that history shoved into 30 years?!  listening to various radio shows gave me an insight into the humor and the history of the times. Jack Benny is the reason that I smoked Lucky Strikes when I first started smoking and Yours Truly Johnny Dollar made me switch to Camels. Which is not  exactly a rousing endorsement granted, though it does go to show that radio advertising works! George Burns and Gracie, Fred Allen and his Tin Pan Alley and My Favorite Husband( Lucille Balls first show and the series I Love Lucy was patterned after) gave me my standards for humor. And they made me dig.If everyone is laughing at a joke about Roosevelt? I wanted to know what was going on at the time so I could understand and find it funny! The Fat Man, Yours Truly Johnny Dollar and Sam Spade were my models for a good noir like mystery. I loved those mysteries because the murder? Always solved.Always. There are zero loose ends and the guilty are always punished. It really fits into my need for order.Crime committed.Perpetrator gets the chair.Easy peasy! 

I listen to OTR daily(at home) and Doo Wop and Swing ( in the car and at home)to help keep me in a vintage state of mind. The one site I love for both OTR and obscure black and white films that have been rendered Public Domain is  http://www.archive.org/. This site is pretty amazing.Its  basically a hodgepodge  of random shiz that has fallen into public domain.They have music, video and radio shows.I will warn you now.You have to know what you are looking for.  Its not exactly user friendly but to start you out , if you are curious, here are some links to my favorite radio shows!

Jack Benny

The Life Of Riley

MyFavoriteHusband

A great female detective Candy Matson

and

Yours Truly Johnny Dollar

Listen to these as I do, while putting on makeup, doing chores around the house, or cooking.  One word of warning.If you listen to too many of the detective shows? You may stop standing close to windows if you are going to say something important for fear you might get shot. Or looking over your shoulder more at night. That Johnny Dollar can make you mistrust sweet old ladies with canes and arthritis!

If you like DooWop, they have a great little collection of some of my Fave's like The Five Keys or OMG.Check this shiz out, I have it on the I pod I lost in OH. Hopefully someone is enjoying my tunes. A Collection of Fantastic DooWop Tunes!

Tomorrows 2 Shops will be a surprise! I have so many great stores to chose from that I'm finding it hard to narrow it down! Id feature more than 2 but it takes me from 3 to 4 hours to write this blog with only two stores featured! Id have to quit my job! So decisions must and will be made. Stay tuned!

Till tomorrow my Lovlies,

Your VFG